Aerosol propellant charging valve unit



March 1, 1966 Filed May 22, 1962 R. ALBRECHT 3,237,659

AEROSOL PROPELLANT CHARGING VALVE UNIT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 March l, 1966 R. ALBRECHT AEROSOL PROPELLANT OHARGING VALVE UNIT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 22, 1962 United States Patent Office 3,237,659 Patented Mar. 1, 1966 3,237 ,659 AEROSOL PROPELLANT CHARGING VALVE UNIT Robert Albrecht, East Cleveland, Ohio, assignor, by mesne assignments, to Strong Cobb Arner, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Filed May 22, 1962, Ser. No. 196,761 2 Claims. (Cl. 141-20) The present invention relates to aerosol valves and the filling of aerosol and other pressure containers with liquid or gaseous propellants under pressure and more particularly to the very rapid and economical filling of such containers by modifying the valve construction ordinarily used and by filling through one or more auxiliary openings provided for that special purpose in the cap of the valve.

Various methods of filling a propellant charge into cans or containers have been practiced heretofore. Freon in liquid form chilled to approximately 30 F. is filled into aL can or container which already has the product to be dispensed filled into the can or container, the product being also chilled to low temperature, and then the valve and cap assembly is crimped onto the can. This is known as the cold fill method. Another method is to fill the can or container with the product, then crimp on the cap and valve assembly and fill the propellant (Freon) in liquid form under high pressure through the valve opening. This is usually carried out with the spray knob off the valve and is known as pressure filling. There is also available an adapter insert which will fill the Freon or other gas or liquid through the spray knoband through and around the valve seal. This is a very slow method due to the small opening in the spray knob and the construction of the valve itself.

An object of the present invention is to overcome the disadvantages of prior practices and to fill cans or containers rapidly, simply and economically.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of one or more special holes in the valve cap and installing a seal washer or auxiliary valve to speed up the propellant charging of the can or container.

Other and further objects and advantages will be understood or pointed out hereinafter and in general the present invention improves past techniques and offers important commercial advantages.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a vertical elevation of a filling set up using an adapter.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary elevation, partly in section, of a cap and valve arrangement according to the invention.

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view of a modified Newman Green type valve construction.

FIGS. 4 and 5 are similar to FIG. 3 but of variant constructions.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a further modification and FIG. 7 is a sectional view on line 7-7 of FIG. 6.

In FIG. 1, which is of somewhat diagrammatic nature, the air cylinder 10 and communicating propellant cylinder 11 are mounted in vertically adjustable manner at 12, 13, respectively, on a standard or upright 14 and propellant cylinder 11 is provided with an adapter charging inner sleeve 15 having at its lowermost end in Contact with the floor of cap 16 a sealing ring 17 of rubber or other suitable non-metallic material. Cap 16 has a vertical wall 18 terminating in a semi-cylindrical annular flange 19 on which sealing member 20 of adapter outer sleeve 21 rests in sealing relationship during charging of the container 22. The cap 16 is provided with propellant charging orifices 23, preferably obliquely directed, and the central portion of the cap is raised and hollow as shown with a central aperture for the passage of hollow stem 24 of spray knob 25. The O ring seal 26 is disposed below the floor of cap 16 radially outwardly of orifices 23 and is supported by washer 27 to form a seal on the underside of the floor of cap 16. A spring holder 28 spaced below washer 27 and terminating just above locking ring 29 holds coil spring 30 in position. Within the raised and hollow central portion of cap 16 there is a cylindrical member 31 which is turned inwardly at its bottom and then extends downwardly through washer 27 and spring holder 28 to tube 32, locking ring 29 being disposed in a shallow annular groove or depression in the wall of the depending tubular portion 33 of cylindrical member 31 which terminates at its upper end somewhat below the top of said raised, hollow central portion to provide space for a resilient disc or annular pad 34 of rubber or composition. A similar member 35 is disposed on the surface of the inturned portion of cylindrical member 31. It will further be noted that hollow stem 24 extends downwardly through these elements and terminates in a s olid portion 36, there being an opening 37 in the sidewall just above 36 normally closed by member 35 which acts as a seal therefor. Encircling stern 24 is a helical spring 38 and a somewhat irregularly shaped (at its top) spring receiving member 39 overlies spring 38. Flange 19 rests on bead or rolled edge 40 at the top of the frusto-conical portion 41 of container 22. Propellant cylinder 11 is connected to and communicates with pump P which in turn is in communication with propellant storage tank 42. A suitable connecting joint 43 holds parts 33 and 32 in the desired association. As will be seen from FIG. l, tube 32 extends nearly to the bottom of container 22 which, during filling, rests on a base or support 44.

FIG. 3 is a Newman Green type valve modified for purposes of the present invention. Numeral 45 designates the cap with a cylindrical wall 46 terminating in flange 47. The floor of cap 45 is provided with one or more propellant charging -orifices 48, two being shown, and resilient seal washer 49 is disposed therebelow, and held in compressed condition by the compressing ring or washer 50. Tube 51 or valve body passes through central openings in members 49 and 50 and has a lateral flange 52 surmounted by a centrally apertured resilient Washer 53 over which passes the hollow somewhat irregularly shaped, apertured central raised portion 54 of cap 45.

In FIG. 4, cap 55 `also 'has a vertical cylinderical wall 56 terminating in flange 57. The floor of the cap has a central raised apertured hollow portion 58 and approximately at the juncture of members 55 and 58 there are angularly disposed propellant charging orifices 59. The tube or valve body 60 has around it and extending into contact with the underside of the cap a resilient cup washer 61 of rubber or other compressible material. The upper end of valve body 60 is provided with a lateral annular flange surmounted by a fiat resilient washer 62. Washer 61 fits tightly on the valve body 60 and is held in position by an annular ridge 63 and/or is cemented to the valve body with adhesive.

FIG. 5 shows another modified form of Newman Green type valve wherein the resilient washer 64 is maintained under compression by compression washer 65 through which passes the valve body 66 having lateral flange 67 at its upper end surmounted by flat resilient washer 68 within the central raised hollow portion 69 of cap 70 which has a cylindrical wall 71 terminating in flange 72. As before, propellant charging orifices 73 are disposed angularly in member 69 and washer 64 acts as a seal. It is further to be observed that member 69 is so configured as to provide a modified form 0f clinch.

In the form of the invention shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the cap 74, as before, has a cylindrical wall 75 terminating in fiange 76 and a valve body 77 with a lateral flange 78 surmounted by a fiat resilient washer 79 within raised hollow centrally apertured portion 80 rising from the floor of the cap 74. In this modification, however, the propellant charging orifice 81 is in one side of the cap floor and is defined by the sealing material 82 which is seamed or crimped over the edge of the orifice and around a washer 83 into which valve 84 projects under the urging of helical spring 85 encircling valve stem 86. The material 82 extends down along the valve and has a bottom opening 87 for said valve stem. It is further to be understood that the valve illustrated and described can be satisfactorily replaced by a ball valve or other type of valve which may be of plastic, metal or other appropriate material.

It will be understood that the actual method of filling is generally similar to the conventional method but modilied by the presence of the specially provided orifices and the new structure so that containers can be filled rapidly and economically. The present invention obviates the necessity of charging containers through the very small or minute openings in the spray cap and regular valve. While the invention has been particularly described and illustrated with relation to Newman Green valves and caps,I am not limited thereto as other caps and valves can be similarly adapted to the invention. It is also not necessary according toI the invention to charge the propellant with the spray knob ofi or to have a number of operators for each production line installing the spray caps or knobs. Also, when the operators are installing the spray knobs they usuallyvdepress the knob and some of the product sprays out, thus making a messy operation `and often necessitating cleaning of the containers. All such disadvantages are overcome and avoided by this invention. A positive advantage of the inventionlies in the fact that the valve manufacturers can supply valves completely assembled with the spray knob or cap.

What is claimed is:

1. A capfor an `aerosol propellant charging valve unit comprising a oor having a central, raised hollow portion and at least two orifices oppositely disposed at the junction of the side of the raised lhollow portion and the floor, a cylindrical wall rising upward from the floor terminating in an annularflange, a cylindrical member disposed within the hollow portion and extending downward therefrom, which member terminates in a tubular portion at its distal end, sealing means for the at least tWO orifices comprising an O-ring, disposed below the floor, surrounding the cylindrical member and secured thereto at the lower end, compression means for urging the sealing means upward to seal the orifices from below without extending through the orice and means for retaining the compression means within a defined, vertically mobile area.

2. A cap for an aerosol propellant charging valve unit comprising a floor having ya central, raised hollow portion and at least two orifices disposed through the side wall of the raised, hollow portion, a cylindrical wall rising upward from the floor terminating in an annular flange, a cylindrical member disposed within the hollow portion and extending downward therefrom,-whicl1 member terminates in a tubular portion at its distal end, sealing means for the at least two orifices comprising a sealing washer, disposed below the floor, surrounding the cylindrical member and secured thereto at the lower end, compression means for urging the sealing means upward to seal the orifices from below without extending through the orifices comprising a compression ring and means for retaining the compression means within a defined, vertically mobile area.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS I 431,950 7/1890 Martin 222-394 2,690,279 9/1954 Ward 222-394 2,708,347 5/1955 Cameron 141-20 2,890,817 6/1959 Rheinstrom 141-20 X 2,908,297 10/1959 Carlsson 141-20 2,961,131 11/1960 Bradbury 141-3 X 3,018,021 1/1962 Gorand et al. 141-354 X` 3,060,965 10/1962 Taggart 222-394 X LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner. 

1. A CAP FOR AN AEROSOL PROPELLANT CHARGING VALVE UNIT COMPRISING A FLOOR HAVING A CENTRAL, RAISED HOLLOW PORTION AND AT LEAST TWO ORIFICES OPPOSITELY DISPOSED AT THE JUNCTION OF THE SIDE OF THE RAISED HOLLOW PORTION AND THE FLOOR, A CYLINDRICAL WALL RISING UPWARD FROM THE FLOOR TERMINATING IN AN ANNULAR FLANGE, A CYLINDRICAL MEMBER DISPOSED WITHIN THE HOLLOW PORTION AND EXTENDING DOWNWARD THEREFROM, WHICH MEMBER TERMINATES IN A TUBULAR PORTION AT ITS DISTAL END, SEALING MEANS FOR THE AT LEAST TWO ORIFICES COMPRISING AN O-RING, DISPOSED BELOW THE 